We are on our way back from Puglia, and I can’t help but make a detour to Montefusco, in Irpinia, to visit Paolo Mastroberardino. During the lockdown, I had the pleasure of taking part in a wonderful tasting with the friends from vinodabere.it, and the pull of this land—and of Terredora di Paolo—was simply too strong.
Paolo is the perfect host. A producer deeply in love with his work and his land. Perhaps that’s why, from the very first moments, you sense his desire to share everything: his winery, his approach, his territory.
The entrance is filled with plaques and awards—signs of a long tradition that began with his father Walter (still very much present in the winery). Paolo welcomes us and begins guiding us through the estate. But this is no ordinary visit. We pass through silos and barriques, yet Paolo is keen to show us what lies behind the scenes. He even takes us into his hangar, where agricultural machinery is parked and the products for the next day’s vineyard treatments are ready.
Sulfur, copper, zeolite, and seaweed derivatives. Yet Paolo doesn’t like to boast about his respect for the land. His vineyard practices are guided more by his own values and conscience than by any formal “rulebook.”
Equally impressive is the scale of his equipment, with rotating fermenters (my definition) that resemble space capsules. Just as interesting is his management of temperature, which seems to play a key role in many of his cellar techniques.
Then we jump into the car and head toward the vineyards, climbing along narrow roads that finally give shape to the names we’ve only seen on labels. We arrive at “Terre degli Angeli,” where his Greco di Tufo is born, and we are left speechless by the view.
But that’s not all. Paolo takes us to the panoramic terrace of Montefusco, and there—like someone deeply in love—he visually narrates his territory. Every mountain, every valley, every variation in color becomes a story: where Aglianico is grown, where Falanghina, where Fiano, and so on.
What a beautiful Irpinia. A place to discover—best experienced through the character of Paolo’s wines. We are, after all, on our way back to Rome, and this time our glasses hold only water. But still fresh in my memory is a wonderful tasting with Vinodabere.it, an occasion in which I truly appreciated (yes, I repeat myself) the character of his white wines, as well as the depth and elegance of his Taurasi—especially the Pago dei Fusi 2011, a wine I would love to have by my side on those evenings where what I like to call a “slow rhythm” is the essence of well-being.
Thank you, Paolo. I had come to know you through your wines.
But something was missing.
Now I have everything I need to truly understand how beautiful your land is—and how much of you is in your wines.
